Kathleen Funchion
Question:1001. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated additional cost of the roll-out of Aistear across the childminding sector. [31653/21]
View answerTuesday, 15 June 2021
Questions (1001)
Written answers
The National Action Plan for Childminding, published in April this year, commits to develop bespoke resources to support the quality of childminding provision. Phase 1 of the National Action Plan, which commences in 2021 and is expected to last 2-3 years, will include development of a bespoke Foundation Training Programme for childminders, and development of a Quality Development Programme. During Phase 1, as the scale and scope of these and other quality supports are clarified, more detailed cost estimates will be developed, refining the high-level, indicative cost estimates presented in the National Action Plan.
Aistear, the national curriculum framework for early childhood, was developed by the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NCCA). Since its development 12 years ago it has been used as a tool to support quality on many levels across the range of services that support the learning and care of children from birth to 6 years old. Aistear is relevant to all settings for children from birth to 6 years old. Measures to support the use of Aistear are rolled out in an integrated way with supports for the Síolta national quality framework.
The roll-out of Aistear, which is supported by the Aistear-Síolta Practice Guide (published in 2015), is embedded both in initial/pre-service training programmes and in a range of training courses aimed at the continuing professional development of early learning and care practitioners.
Its roll-out is also embedded in the mentoring work carried out by the Better Start Quality Development Service, and in the inspections of early learning and care services that are carried out by both Tusla (the statutory regulator for early learning and care and school-age childcare services) and the Inspectorate of the Department of Education.